


Black And Red

by gintoki_show



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Existential Crisis, Gen, Guilt, Psychology, Spoilers, Theatre
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:22:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29629728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gintoki_show/pseuds/gintoki_show
Summary: Shakespeare’s theatre? Not there. Theatre of war? A bit closer. Theatre of the two identities, which Reiner Braun’s self has been divided into? That’s it, that’s the case. The one-act play starts now. Chekhov’s gun is included.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4
Collections: Attack on Titan, Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin, Shingeki no Kyojin





	Black And Red

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Черное и Красное](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29657412) by [gintoki_show](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gintoki_show/pseuds/gintoki_show). 



> I'm exploring the psychology of Reiner Braun - my favourite character from AoT - in a theatrical play format. Inspired by his dissociative disorder's cases from the seasons 2 and 4.
> 
> My first fic translated.

Scene 1

[ _The stage is dark and empty, only a gun slightly glistening in blue light is seen upstage._ ]

[ _On the left, a seated figure in black is suddenly illuminated. His coarse hands, bare feet, a manly face, and short blonde hair are the only light spots._ ]

“Reiner? Reiner Braun, can you hear me? Oh, look… Here I am. [ _Examines his own body, as if trying to make sure he's real._ ] I lost myself again, ha-ha… It’s so easy on this cursed island. The moment you realize that no demons live on the other side of the wall, but mere people, you involuntary start to lose coordinates. What a surprise. Only humans of flesh and blood, weeping and laughing, hating and falling in love, making mistakes and dieing for their beliefs… They are the same as you. The very same thing.”

[ _The man in black gets up and paces slowly across the left side of the stage._ ]

“There were many wonderful people among them, and you yourself, of your own free will, decided to get closer to them. While Bertholdt and Annie kept apart, you gave your hand to Eren Jaeger when he lost control of his ODM and plowed the ground with his nose. During dinner, you rushed to separate the quarreling Eren and Jean. You picked Armin up, protecting him from the Female Titan. Reiner Braun, everyone's mate... [ _Stops in the middle of the stage._ ] You became a close friend and protector to everyone.”

Scene 2

[ _From the right sidestage, the same person, but in red, is rapidly emerging. The spotlight illuminates the same light, short-cropped hair, the same bare feet, the same veiny hands. On the left sleeve, the viewer can see a crimson patch with a white star. The man in red swings and slaps the man in black with all his might. The sound of a powerful slap echoes through the silence of the auditorium. The man in black staggers back and lowers his head, touching his cheek._ ]

“YOU ARE A WARRIOR! [ _Screams, splashing saliva._ ] YOU ARE A WARRIOR, REINER, AND YOU FORGOT IT. [ _Rubs his hand in silence for about a minute, then speaks in a normal tone._ ] You were Marley's hope, Reiner. The Marley people shed blood hundreds of years ago, recapturing the power of the Titans, not for you to fraternize with the enemy. The Marley gave you shelter, food, saved your life, gave you the right to eradicate the evil planted by your own ancestors.”

“I thought there were devil spawn across the sea. [ _Sits in the middle of the stage with his head down._ ] And there were... people. Who fear the titans just like the continent. I saw them crying in their first battle at Trost when we... broke the wall... for the second time.”

“You’re such an incorrigible fool… The Marleyans shouldn’t have trusted you. Do you even know how many people you owe to your existence? [ _Sits down in the middle of the stage, side by side with the person in black._ ] How about captain Magath, who saw a decent candidate for the Armored Titan in you? Who forced you, a loser, to train more and more and finally made an excellent soldier of you. Or, maybe, you can recall Marcel, who put in a word for you so that you could get the Warrior status?”

“But Marcel didn’t…”

“I’M NOT FINISHED YET! [ _Yells once again. After that everything remains totally silent for 10 seconds._ ] Marcel was just a talentless hack like you. But you are… stronger than him, huh? You’ve become more worthy than him, haven’t you?”

“…”

“And our family?.. [ _Hearing these words, the black figure raises his head anxiously, staring straight ahead vacantly._ ] Our mother… Her only dream in life was for her son to become an honorary Marleyan. Because that would give her the right for a… peaceful domestic bliss with her beloved husband.”

“Beloved husband?! Ha-ha-ha! [ _Raises his face and starts laughing loudly and insanely._ ] He didn’t care about it at all. I’ve been chasing an elusive dream for 12 years.”

“Oh, I see that it’s so easy to shift responsibility to your parents. [ _Takes a small mirror out of his pocket._ ] Look at yourself, Reiner. What do you see? I’ll tell you. You see an Eldian, Reiner, the only one to blame for all of this. It’s your fault that your father can’t live with your mother. It’s your fault that your mother is so miserable. It’s your fault that Paradis bastards have abducted Annie and killed Bertholdt. [ _Stands up, takes the black figure by the shoulder._ ] This is the severe truth about your life, we’re not living in a fairytale?”

“Am I to blame for… [ _Watches at his hands._ ]”

“For what?”

“… for being born?..”

“Yes, Reiner. You are guilty for being born an Eldian. Dirty, black, cursed blood flows through your veins.”

[ _The man in black seizes his head with both hands and freezes in silent numbness. The man in red makes several steps aside, looking somewhere._ ]

“But… we’ve got a chance to change everything. An opportunity given once in thirteen years. We’ve been training, overcoming our weaknesses for the sake of our mission on Paradis. To put an end to this this devastating war. You could have changed everything, Reiner… could have become free from your blood’s curse. But what were you doing? Making friends with devil’s bantlings, while Annie and Bertholdt were looking for the Founding Titan?”

“Have you ever assumed that they are not bantlings? [ _The man in black rises, walks up to the red figure, turns him around by the shoulder, looking right in his eyes._ ] It’s hard to think independently with the government brainwashing you since the early childhood calling everybody enemies, isn’t it??”

“Are you out of your mind?..”

“We were fighting side by side. Remember how we were shooting back the bloodthirsty titans in Trost with almost no gas left? Remember, how we got stuck in Utgard castle? Krista… She bandaged my wounds, although I didn’t ask for that. She was the first person who really cared whether I would survive or die.”

“This old song again… You’ve really spent too much time among them. You’ve become weak, soft… your armor’s become fragile as glass. I can’t look at you without disgust.”

“Only on the island I’ve learned for the first time what falling in love is. Have you ever felt like this? Have you?”

[ _The person in red grabs the black one by his collar._ ]

“What the hell are you talking about?! Love?! Nobody needs you and no one loves you, except for your people. The Marleyan people.”

“It’s a lie… YOU ARE LYING.” [ _Hits the red’s hand heavily and rips off a star armband from his left sleeve. Hesitates for a few seconds, looking at the piece of crimson cloth, then drops it onto the floor and tramples it._ ]

“You… [ _Screaming, stretching out his hands in despair_ ] What are you doing? It’s treason! You’ve betrayed your duty, forgotten, who you are!”

[ _The man in the black costume stops trampling the armband._ ]

“Who am I? [ _Grinning_ ] I am a human.”

“You’re a warrior.”

“I am a human.”

“You’re an inheritor of the Armored Titan.”

“I am a human.”

“You are a devil. [ _Goes upstage_.] I will put this to the end. [ _Taking the gun off from the upstage and putting a bullet in it._ ] This part of me must die…”

“No one must die anymore!”

[ _In a few steps the black figure shortens the distance between himself and the red man, snatches the gun out of his hands. A fight begins. The stage lights are gradually going down. The gun is alternately being taken from one’s hands to the other’s. When the scene becomes completely dark, a thunderous sound of a shot rings out. After that, any movement on the stage stops._ ]

Curtain.


End file.
